Love, Me
by sakuraheartz
Summary: He put his hand in his old, worn coat and pulled out a piece of paper, which was folded into four pieces. I took the aged paper in my hand and carefully opened it. I noticed that it was dated back to 1923. It’s amazing to think that their love still last.


**Love, Me**

**Disclaimer: **I don't know why people bother reading this sentence when it is obvious that I don't own Gakuen Alice.

**Inspiration:** Collin Raye's **Love, Me**.

**Dedicate to my sweet friend ****teh-crazeh-one.  
Hope that you'll be satisfied reading this story :p**

* * *

The hospital hallway was quiet as I sat down on the bench with Grandpa Natsume beside me.

Silence surrounded us as we waited for the person in charge to tell us about the current condition of Grandma Mikan. She just had a major heart attack after we had dinner tonight, so we immediately rushed her to the hospital.

I bent down and sighed in my seat. I intertwined my hands and placed them on my forehead for support.

I just couldn't understand why all of this happened when I was on a summer vacation at their house while my parents went away for work.

I lifted my face and faced Grandpa Natsume. He looked tired and old.

Despite in his eighties, he still has the energy of a twenty year old. His grey haired head lay low and his crimson eyes were full of concern, nervous, fear, and love all the same time.

Grandma Mikan always reminds me how beautiful my eyes are. "Just like grandpa Natsume," she would say.

I smiled as I recalled their usual bantering and teasing every single day. There was never a dull moment whenever I spent my summer holidays at my grandparents. There was always laughter, happiness, and love.

"I remember…the day I married her," Grandpa Natsume said bringing me of my thoughts. "So beautiful and happy."

I looked up at him and listened intently.

"You know, I almost lost her once," he said gruffly. "But I waited for her, and it was worth it."

His mouth curled up into a smile.

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

Grandpa Natsume let out a small chuckle and said, "Boy, you might not understand, but a long, long time ago. Grandma's daddy didn't like me, but I loved your grandma so."

He shifted in his seat and began his story.

"I was a car mechanic, and I didn't come from a rich family," he said.

"I've known your grandma since our school days, and I've got to tell you, she was unbelievably loud. I considered her the most annoying person around." He had this faraway gaze in his eyes, but they were sparkling with glee. "She always tied her hair into pigtails and wore polka-dot underwear until she was seventeen."

I laughed and said, "But you fell in love with her anyway."

"Yeah," he nodded and leaned back onto the bench. "Even after I insulted her and called her nicknames. She just wouldn't give up."

"Because you thought that she was rich and she can do anything," I chuckled. "Grandma told me about it once."

"I have to admit that I was a bit of a pain when I was a teenager," he said. "But your grandmother managed to get under my skin and changed me into a better person."

Grandpa Natsume sighed and crossed his arms.

"You see, Shuichi_, _I worked my butt off and get a scholarship into one of the most prestigious university in the country," he said proudly. "When I got a job and a steady income, I proposed to your grandmother."

"But?" I can't help asking the question.

"Her father was still skeptical about our relationship and would interfere whenever we were together." He frowned as he sailed back to the old memories. "He just popped up everywhere we went. It drove us almost to insanity."

I laughed as I imagined the scene. I remember Grandma Mikan showed me the picture of her parents, though it was slightly faded through the years. I could see that Grandma Mikan was the exact replica of her mother: brown waist length hair and the sunny smile that always brightened my day, but she also had her father's brown eyes.

"We talked about getting married," Grandpa Natsume said. "But her father refused to give me his blessing."

He had this forlorn expression on his face as he continued,"So we had this crazy plan to meet, run away together, and then get married in the first town we came to. Then we would live there forever."

Grandpa Natsume took a deep breath and then he exhaled. "We agreed to meet at the sakura tree in the park around midnight, but instead I found this letter, and this is what it said."

He put his hand in his old, worn coat and pulled out a piece of paper, which was folded into four pieces. "I keep it with me all the time," he said.

I took the aged paper in my hand and carefully opened it. I noticed that it was dated back to 1923.

It's amazing to think that their love still lasted this long.

Then I read the familiar handwriting and whispered the words as I read them.

_If you get there before I do, don't give up on me._  
_I'll meet you when my chores are through, I don't know how long I'll be._  
_But I'm not gonna let you down, darling wait and see._  
_And between now and then till I see you again I'll be loving you._  
_Love, me._

I smiled and refolded the letter carefully. I gave it to him, and then Grandpa Natsume put it back inside his coat.

The door to the emergency room opened, and a doctor walked towards our direction as we stood up from the bench.

"How is she?" Grandpa Natsume asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry, but…" the doctor paused. "We've done everything we could."

I closed my eyes, trying to control the tears that were about to come. "How much time does she have left?" I asked the doctor.

"A few hours or so," the doctor replied clearly.

"C –can I see her?" I could see Grandpa Natsume's hands were shaking as he asked the question.

The doctor nodded and then he called a nurse over to show us the room where they had Grandma Mikan.

Grandpa Natsume immediately went beside her bed and grabbed her hands as we arrived at the room.

I stood at the door and watched them. I knew I should be beside Grandma Mikan, but I felt like I don't belong in the scene.

I watched as Grandma Mikan opened her eyes and smiled as he saw Grandpa Natsume.

"Natsume," she whispered.

Grandpa Natsume placed his frail hand on the side of her face. "What is it my dear?"

"I'll be fine," She put on a weak smile. "Don't worry about me."

"Don't say anything," Grandpa Natsume hushed her. "Close your eyes and go to sleep."

She obeyed and then he sat next to her on the bed.

I had never seen him cry in all of my fifteen years, but as he said these words to her; his eyes filled up with tears.

"If you get there before I do," he chocked. "Don't give up on me. I'll meet you when my chores are through. I don't know how long I'll be, but I'm not gonna let you down, darling wait and see. Between now and then till I see you again I'll be loving you. Love, me."

* * *

I let out a sigh as I rested on the branch of the sakura tree.

It had been a few hours after the funeral.

They had buried Grandma Mikan beside her parent's graves.

Everyone was there; her friends and their family, Grandpa Ruka and Grandma Hotaru, my parents, and Grandpa Natsume.

Grandma Mikan would have taken one look at the line of cars backed up to the gated entrance of Alice Cemetery, and she would have regarded the respectable turnout as somewhat less than her due.

"I knew I would find you here!" I heard a rustle of trees and then a blonde haired and blue eyed girl appeared in front of me.

"What do you want, gadget-panty girl," I grunted.

If she were one of those fan girls, I would have shoved her off the tree. But this was my childhood friend, Keiko.

I could see the veins popping in her head as she pulled out her baka gun. "If you dare to say that again, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger!"

Our fathers were best friends just like Grandpa Natsume and Grandpa Ruka were; thus, we've known each other all our life.

She was influenced by Grandma Hotaru with her inventions and gadgets, but luckily she spends more time with Grandpa Ruka so she couldn't hurt a fly.

Though, I owe her a lot seeing that she always chased or more like shot the crazy fan girls away from me.

"Like you would do that to me," I scoffed and ignored her.

She huffed and put the damn gun away before inching closer to me.

She surprised me when she suddenly hugged me.

"W –what are you trying to pull?" I shouted as I try to struggled out of her tight embrace.

Dear God, I swear this girl's strength will be the death of me one day.

"Stop struggling!" she shouted at my left ear and I complied unwillingly while holding my poor ear to sooth the insistent buzz her voice had caused.

"You don't have to act all tough, you know," she said. "There are times when a big boy needs a shoulder to lean on to cry too."

Her words struck my heart like a thunderbolt.

I didn't cry throughout the funeral. I didn't cry when some of Grandma Mikan's friend hugged me and gave me condolence. I guess…I was still in a bit of a shock.

"Whatever," I buried my head at the crook of her neck and I let the tears stream down my face.

Keiko held me as I let out all the frustration and the agony of losing the grandma that I loved.

I really did appreciate the fact that she didn't tell anyone about it. Even though she blackmailed to tell everyone if I dared to peek her underwear ever again.

Though I know she wouldn't do that anyway.

And as a few months passed, Grandma Natsume finally finished his "chores" before joining Grandma Mikan in heaven.

**...The End...**

* * *

Okay so maybe I don't mention what "chores" Mikan have to do to so that she can get married to Natsume but the important thing is that they do get together and happily married. And there's less details too :p

A huge thanks to my dear friend, **bloodyrose1294, ****for editing the story. :D**  



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